My Valentine
by AriaxCantabile
Summary: Ayame has been a member of the Akatsuki for awhile now, but she now faces a tough decision this Valentine's day...Is she finally sick of the ever distant Uchiha and his stubborn antics? Or will she chose that of another? One-shot: Complete/OCxITAxDEI/R&R! :)


**My Valentine  
****A Naruto One-shot**

_Ayame_x_Deidara_x_Itachi  
_

* * *

_*AN: So, this one-shot is sort of just that, a one-shot. Haha. In the actual story of Ayame and Kiame, she isn't quite as cold to her sister as she is in this particular mini-story, but for the sake of theme I thought it'd work well…lol. I also realized I made Itachi a little OOC…unfortunately…it is a task I seem to struggle with…haha. Hmm, for the sake of setting (again), I should probably mention that Ayame and Itachi had been going through a rough time in their relationship, up to this point anyway, hence all the added drama/friction between the two and poor little Deidara as well….He gets dealt a pretty bad hand in this story….lolol…I feel guilty about it now….:"(…..So, yeah. Some parts of the story herald truth, the rest are simply present for effect/theme._

_Anyway, I hope all of you enjoy, and please R&amp;R, thus I can improve what I can and continue writing for all of you. ^^ Thanks to all!_

_UPDATE: Here is a link to the story that involves Ayame and her Sister, Kiame, if you wish to hear about their past, etc... s/10690169/1/Fire-and-Ice_

_~Aria_

* * *

The sun had just begun to rise over the Land of Clouds, causing a silent morning mist to creep along the faces of nearby mountains and streams. Townspeople smiled in delight as its radiant warmth filled their hearts, signaling to them a start of yet another day. However, today wasn't just a normal day, no; it was St. Valentine's Day, the day for love and togetherness.

A pair of icy blue eyes opened, brought awake by the sudden increase in light. The owner of these eyes sighed and pushed herself up off of her mattress, annoyed. '_Why is it so bright in the morning…' _she thought, running a hand through her dark brunette hair. Ayame Azikuria, the girl that had just awoken from the realm of sleep, was the newest member in the Akatsuki.

The brunette mumbled to herself as she walked across her room to her dresser. With a loathing sigh of morning hatred, she selected a few articles of clothing out of its contents and began dressing herself for the day. Ayame's attire normally consisted of a revealing blue halter and matching pair of bermudas, accompanied with some fishnet underneath; but today, she wore an off-the-shoulder black top, matching boots, and a pair of tight black shorts all underneath her uniform Akatsuki cloak. Her eyes roamed over her reflection in the mirror, critiquing her appearance. "Alright," Ayame grabbed her katana and draped it over shoulder before leaving her room.

"Good morning, Ayame-chan, hmm." A voice greeted.

Ayame turned to find Deidara, the blonde haired artist of the Akatsuki, leaning against the frame of her door, arms folded across his chest. "Good morning, Deidara."

"Off to train, hmmm?" He asked, glancing at her sword.

She shook her head and closed her door, "No, to the marketplace. We're in need of food and supplies."

"Oh," The blonde pushed himself away from the door and walked up beside her, "I'll go with you then, hmmm."

Ayame gave him a weary look, "I can go by myself..?"

"I know," Deidara answered, placing a hand on her shoulder. "But I'd like to go as well. After all, I don't get to see you that much, hmmm."

The kuniochi shrugged him off and started down the long, dormitory hallway, "You see me enough."

The blonde laughed at her cold remark and followed after her.

* * *

The marketplace was bustling; women and children were looking in store windows, men were lounging around either walking with spouses or trying to scout out one, and animals were grazing through fields and roads-none spouted a care in the world. "So where to first, hmmm?" Deidara asked, glancing over at Ayame.

The kuniochi pulled a small piece of paper out of her cloak and glanced down at it, "The Underground Market."

"Oh," the blonde artist frowned, "Why there, hmmm?"

"Konan said there's a pair of Rouge's that have some supplies we need," Ayame answered, "Mira and Shozuko, the twin brothers of Amegakure."

Deidara sighed and glanced up at the sky, "I don't like those two, hmmm. They're…ignorant, and lack a form of respect."

"Hmmm," Ayame swept her bangs out of her face, "You're one to talk of a lack in respect…"

"Hey!"

* * *

The two Akatsuki members crossed town in a matter of minutes, coming to a hault by what appeared to be a large iron door. "Looks like we found the entrance..." The blonde remarked, glancing over the doors surface. "Now, how do we get in, hmmm?"

The brunette kuniochi stepped up to the door and knocked twice, waiting for a reply. When no answer came, she raised hand to knock again, but was stopped by a man, perhaps around his later thirties, who stepped out of the ground and approached the two-knife at the ready. "Who's there?" he asked in a dark, raspy voice.

"Ayame and Deidara of the Akatsuki." She answered smoothly. "We are to meet two men here."

The man glanced over their attire and scowled, "Akatsuki, eh? Well," he lowered his weapon and sighed, "Enter." The hinges on the large iron door started to squeal as it was swung open. Inside, a long spiral staircase with spider infested torches awaited them. "Watch your step…" The man stated as he began to sink back into the ground.

Deidara chuckled and glanced over the doors contents, "What a dreary place…"

Ayame agreed; the staircase did look quite creepy, even for an underground place such as this. In fact, if she didn't know where she were going, she probably would've thought it to be some dungeon or catacomb. "Let's go." She answered, stepping into the darkness.

* * *

A pair of bloody crimson eyes narrowed as the two Akatsuki members, Deidara and Ayame, entered the staircase leading to the Underground Market. The owner of these eyes were angry, almost enraged, at seeing his partner, the rouge brunette of Konohagurke, walking with that scum of the Stone, Deidara. He knew the blonde's intentions-especially on a day such as this-and it was eating him alive. Envy was literally biting at his heart, making him sick with disgust and jealousy. Itachi glared after them, if Deidara wanted to play a game of 'who's-better-than-who', well he just found his opponent.

* * *

-"Over here!"

-"Come and look at some of our lovely ninja apparel!"

-"Wait, come back!"

-"We have some fantastic weapons for ninja like you!"

Ayame scrunched up her nose, she hated going to these rouge markets, they always stunk of desperation and filth. Deidara chuckled, "What's wrong with you, hmmm?"

The brown haired kuniochi inched away from some of the people reaching out for her, "Let's get this over with, I don't like this place." She growled. Out of all the ANBU assignments and assassinations she'd ever been on, Ayame hated trips to places like this more than anything else. Hagglers, theifs, rouge's-this was their opportune moment. Here were a group of newcomers, with plenty of money and a naïve knowledge of the Marketplace-ripe for the picking.

Deidara noticed the kuniochi's change in attitude and smirked. '_Now…' _he thought as he snaked his hand around Ayame's waist, "Don't worry, Ayame. I've got you, hmmm."

"Deidara," Ayame activated her kekkei genkei, turning her eyes a threatening, iridescent purple, "Let go of me."

"Haha," The blonde artist grinned, "And if I don't, hmmm?"

"Then," The corners of Ayame's mouth pulled upwards in a twisted smirk as she began constricting the water within Deidara's blood stream. This was probably her most outstanding and dangerous weapon: Blood Bending. Seeing as the human body is roughly 70% water, blood bending does not necessarily bend the blood, but rather the fluids in one's body, allowing the user to manipulate the body's muscles to move as they wish or even stop the movement completely. Potentially, a blood bender could do a number of other things by bending the water in a person's body, such as; pressurize, boil, extract, or even cool a victim's heart, or any other organ for that matter-just with the water in their, oh so unlucky, system. "I will kill you."

"N-no," He replied through gasps, "I-I…f you do ..Le-ader s-sama will have y-your..head, hmm."

"Deidara," The brunette kuniochi chuckled, "I could care less what Leader-sama will do to me... Now, let go, or I will crush you."

When the artist didn't respond, Ayame began to close her fist-tightening the grip she had on his circulatory systen. The blonde squeezed his eyes shut, fighting to breathe. "O-ok…ay, Ay-a..me, ch..an." He wheezed, "I'll….l..let g-go, hmm..!"

The brown haired kuniochi watched him struggle for a moment before stopping her chakra flow, causing Deidara to fall to the ground in a heap, gasping for air. "That's what I thought." She hissed as her eyes began to fade back to their normal icy blue. Deidara always did this sort of thing to her, he'd try to hug her, touch her, dote on her-and frankly, she wanted no part of it. In fact, it really just pissed her off.

"We have a mission," Ayame snapped, glancing down at Deidara, "So let's go."

The blonde chuckled as he pushed himself off of the ground, "You're…distant to me, Ayame-chan, hmmm."

"So?" She rolled her eyes and began walking.

"I wonder why that is?" Deidara asked.

Something inside of Ayame's brain snapped then. She turned on her heel, teeth bared, and jabbed a finger into the artists chest, "Why that is?! Deidara, you are so pushy, and arrogant, and forward! You try to force yourself onto me all the time, and you're just—"

"Not an Uchiha." He interrupted.

Ayame stopped and looked up into his eyes, trying to decipher what he just said. There-behind the surface- she saw pain and heart-ache, just waiting to break free. Out of all the things he could have said, why did he say that? "W-what?" she asked, taking a step back.

"I'm not an Uchiha so therefore, I'm not good enough for you, hmm." Deidara replied coldly.

"No..?" She whispered, taken aback. "I-I never…."

"Your actions speak louder than words, hmmm." He answered, brushing off his cloak.

Ayame shook her head, confused. "Why…would you say something like that?"

Deidara shrugged, "It's the truth, hmmm. You just tried to kill me a moment ago. Everyone knows you only care about the Uchiha, anyway, hmmm. So why do my words matter to you?"

A sudden weight began to fill Ayame's heart. Did Deidara truly feel that way? Or…was he just saying this to get to her? She bit her lower lip; she didn't mean anything by her attitude towards them. In fact, she considered all of the Akatsuki to be her closest friends (though they were the only she was allotted to have). "I…" It's true, she did hate Deidara at times, but there were other times when she felt close to him too. Like when he'd make little clay birds or butterflies and have them follow her, just to see her reaction; when he would laugh and empathize with her pain from being separated from her sister and family; when he would greet her in the morning, or check on her when she was hurt... "…I'm…sorry, Deidara."

The blonde artist scoffed, "Sure yo—"

"I'm sorry," Ayame continued, "That you can't see things the way I do. Not because of my actions, but because of the fact that you are blind to what is happening."

Deidara's eyes narrowed, taken aback by the brunette's words. "What did you just say, hmm?!"

Ayame sighed, "You…are only causing more trouble for yourself. I feel the same way about all of you," she answered, "Despite of clan origin or ability."

The blonde grabbed her wrists, "Then why not me?! I can treat you better than that Uchiha, hmmm?! I can be there for you, unlike him! Ayame,"

The brunette looked up into his eyes, saddened by the turn of events in which this conversation had taken. She didn't want to choose between him and Itachi. It was an unfair scale. He knew she loved the Uchiha, despite his coldness and distance. "Deidara, please stop." She answered.

He bit his lower lip, "Why…do you stay with him?" he asked, releasing her arms.

Ayame truly didn't know the answer to that question. She loved Itachi, yes, but she didn't entirely know why…she just… "I…don't know." She whispered.

Deidara sneered and began walking, "I thought as much."

The kuniochi glared at the blonde. He thought he had won? He thought he had beaten her? Oh, no no no. She wouldn't have any of that. "Fine," Ayame grabbed a hold of his arm and pulled him back to her, "If you think you're so much better than Itachi, then prove it to me."

The artist gave a dry laugh, "You and I both know this is a cruel joke, Ayame-chan. You will always pick him, despite the fact that I care about you, hmmm."

Ayame, now pissed and fed up with this conversation, growled. "Look, you're so angry that I haven't given you a chance..? Well, here it is. If you want to impress me and try to win me over, then fine. Here I am. But if you're going to just going to sit here and whine about the fact that I am even giving you a chance at redemption then forget it. I'll leave."

Deidara's eyes widened. "W…won't Uchiha get mad?" he asked.

Ayame flipped her bangs out of her eyes and sighed, "That's never stopped you before, has it?" She knew what she had said had been out of anger…but somewhere-deep, deep inside-she wanted to see what lengths Deidara would go for her. It was a cruel wish, true, but what could it hurt? Itachi would do nothing, that she was sure, and she wanted that feeling. Kiame always spoke of it in Konoha, when suitors would line up and pledge anything they could to her, for the return of a simple acknowledgement from the Konoha beauty. Ayame, having never been brave enough to attempt what her sister had, stood on the sidelines with discomfort. Those times, however, were through. She would have her fun.

He smirked and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Heh heh, a way to get back at Itachi AND win over the rouge beauty of the Akatsuki, eh? Count me in."

* * *

-"Heh heh, a way to get back at Itachi and win over the rouge beauty of the Akatsuki, eh? Count me in."

Itachi clenched his fists, trying to keep calm._ 'What is she planning..?' _He thought, glaring at the small crow relaying information to him. The bird cawed at its master and flew onto his shoulder, awaiting further instruction. "Follow them." He hissed, pointing to the underground entrance. "Relay back to me if you find anything has happened." The raven let out a screech as it took to the sky, beginning its mission.

* * *

Bright sunlight and clouds greeted the two Akatsuki members as they reached the Earth's surface. "Where to now, hmmm?" Deidara asked, adjusting the pack of supplies he wore on his back.

Ayame pulled the small slip of paper out from within her cloak and sighed, "The Weapon's store…It says here that we need to pick up a package for Pain; looks like some new material and equipment."

"Oh," The blonde chuckled, "For you weapon folk, eh?"

Ayame gave a snort, "Yeah, for us 'weapon folk'."

The crowds had since dispersed from the beginning of their journey, making the two's trip across town quick and worry-free. In a matter of moments the Akatsuki members reached the bargaining outlets; a place for clothing, food, and weapons. "Nice." Deidara stated, giving the rustic weapon building a good once over.

Ayame agreed, the building was quite nice. It had old antique wood for its frame, with different stones and rocks for the base. Two distinct bars ran from the ground to the roof, with a large steel sign in the center. The kuniochi smiled and glanced through the windows; inside, a large array of rapiers and blades hung, waiting for her to test them out.

"Coming, Ayame-chan?" Deidara stood at the door, waiting for her to follow.

Ayame nodded and quickly followed after him, excited to see the shop owner's new inventory. There, on the opposite side of the room, stood a wall full of swords, knifes, and best of all, katana's. She grinned, "Deidara, I'm going to go check out the swords."

The blonde artist nodded and walked up to the front desk, waiting for the owner. _'She gets excited about…weapons? How odd…'_ He thought, watching her inspect the walls.

Ayame grinned as she looked over the katana's. It had been months since she had been able to come to a weapon store, and she was in desperate need of a new practice blade. "So what do you think there, Aya?"

The kuniochi turned her head to find the shop owner, a studly man in his upper forties by the name of Haniki, standing against a set of shelves, grinning. "You've gotten some new inventory." She answered, picking up one of the sharper looking Ronin blades.

"Ah," The man chuckled and walked up beside her, "Good eye. This one was manufactured using the steel from the finest quarry in the Cloud. The edge," he pointed, "Is red because of the copper they burnt it with in smelting."

Ayame ran her fingers along the curvature of the blade, and shook her head, unhappy with the arch. "No, I need something else."

Haniki laughed, "Well, I have a few here that just came in. Imported all the way from Kirigakure." He stated, pulling down a box from one of the shelves. "This one molds according to the different type of chakra put into it."

"Let me see." She stated, taking the box.

Deidara, tired of waiting for service, sighed and walked up to the excited brunette, trying to decipher what it was that bonded her to these blades. "So, I take it you two know each other, hmmm?"

"Oh, yeah." Haniki stated, glancing up at the blonde. "Ayame here is one of my regular customers."

"Haniki used to supply weapons to the Azikuria clan back in Konohagurke." Ayame answered, pulling the packaging tape away from the box. "He's the one who provided my sister and myself with our daggers and katana's."

"Oh," Deidara nodded. "I see."

The brunette grinned as she pulled the blade from the box. The seven foot katana had a black and blue twisted hilt, with two silver ribbons that hung down from the end. As for the blade itself, it was navy with a silver edge carved into the arch and tip. "Nice." She smirked, running her fingers down the edge of the bow.

"Try putting some of your chakra into it." Haniki grinned.

Ayame nodded and gripped the blade in both hands. She closed her eyes and began to stream a steady flow of energy into the metal. As she did so, the length of the blade doubled, and the silver carved into the edge began to creep upwards until it reached the hilt, almost like an icy vine. "What kind of blade is that?" Deidara asked, taking a step back.

Ayame opened her eyes and grinned at the katana's new appearance. "It's a sword that responds to chakra." She answered, swinging it in the air. The metal hummed as it was thrown from side to side, carving into the imaginary opponent the wielder pretended to kill. "I like this one, Haniki."

The man laughed and gave a satisfied smile, "I thought you might," He pointed to the blade she wore on her back, "It's made from the same material as your Akai Bara katana. This one's name is Suiren."

"Hmmm," The kuniochi pulled out her own katana and held the two side-by-side, inspecting their spiritual balance. "Water Lily and Red Rose, hunh?" She asked, smiling.

"Yeap." Haniki grinned.

Deidara couldn't help but smile as he watched his brown haired attraction. _'She's so happy, just by holding a sword…' _he sight of her glowing face was honestly beginning to warm his heart. "We'll take Suiren then." He stated, handing the man a wad of yen.

Ayame looked up at her blonde haired accomplice, shocked. "What?"

Deidara placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled, "I can tell you like that katana, Ayame-chan."

"Well…" He was right, she loved that blade. Plus, both Akai and Suiren seemed to have a good connection to one another-spiritually, anyway.

"Consider it a gift, hmmm." The blonde winked, following Haniki to the register.

Ayame stood in place, trying to grasp the situation. _'A gift..?'_ She thought, looking at the sword. _'Why…would he…' __**'It's because he likes you.' **_Her inner voice answered. _'Shut up.' _She growled, _'Deidara knows I like Itachi.' __**'So? Like you said, that's never stopped him before.' **_The kuniochi pinched off her thought processes and shoved her inner aside. She wouldn't hear any more of that conversation.

"Ayame," Deidara stood at the door, smiling. "Are you ready to go?"

The brunette nodded slowly and followed after him, still dumbstruck. "Deidara," She asked, stopping just outside the door. "Why…did you buy that katana for me?"

He stopped alongside her and chuckled, "Because you wanted it." He stated.

"No," Ayame turned and looked him in the eye, trying to read him. "Why did you do that? What made you want to buy that for me?"

Deidara's eyes widened at her question, but he just laughed "I just saw how happy you were with it." He blushed. "And…I thought I would get it for you, hmm."

"Well," The cold hearted kuniochi smiled, genuinely shocked and pleased by his actions. "Thank you, Deidara."

* * *

"That will be all." The Uchiha answered, placing a small box on the counter.

The red-haired woman standing before him blushed and rang up his order, "Are you sure you wouldn't like anything else?"

"No." He stated, taking the bag from her hands. In truth, yes. He did want something; well, someone. And that was Ayame. _His _Ayame.

"H-Have a nice day then, sir." She stuttered, glancing over him one last time.

Itachi nodded and walked out the door. The crow he had summoned from before suddenly came flying around the corner, seeking its master. The Uchiha held out his arm and glanced down at the bird, "Any news?"

The bird suddenly melted into his cloak. Itachi closed his eyes, seeing what the bird had seen only moments before.

Deidara, that scum, had bought Ayame a new sword.

He opened his eyes and activated his Mangekyo Sharingan. His patience couldn't take it anymore; it was time to end this game, once and for all.

* * *

The warm afternoon sun slowly began to set; signaling to all that twilight was now near. Ayame smiled and embraced the last of the sun's warmth. Under normal circumstances, the kuniochi would cringe at the heat, but this time she welcomed it. The air was warm, but it wasn't so much that it could cause a sweat; yet at the same time, the darkness brought on a breeze that could cool without causing a chill. Beyond the growing tree line, Ayame could see young deer and foxes circling about, not even noticing the others presence. As she glanced up into the trees, a few swallows suddenly fluttered into their burrows, seeking refuge under the growing darkness. She loved this time of day.

As the kuniochi continued to look around the massive trees, a pair of brilliant scarlet eyes caught her attention. They were calm, yet as she continued to stare at them they began to boil with rage. A familiar rage. "Ayame-chan, what are you doing, hmm?"

The brunette blinked. Almost as soon as she did so, the angry eyes were gone, replaced with a black…crow?  
Realization hit her like a ton of bricks.  
Itachi.  
It was Itachi's eyes, his blood colored, enraged Sharingan eyes.

"Oh…no." She whispered, taking a step back. He was mad. No, from the looks of it, he was furious. Enraged. "Shit."

Deidara dropped his bags and walked over to Ayame, frightened by her reaction. "What is it, Ayame-chan?" He asked, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "What's wrong, hmmm?"

Out of all the things that she could've been doing today she just had to be with Deidara, the one man Itachi loathed more than anything in the world. She growled and mentally slapped herself for being so foolish. The signs were there-she had seen these shadows and birds following her all day, but she had thought nothing of it. Now it was clear. It was Itachi following them, watching them.

"Did you just see that?" Ayame asked, still in shock. Now it wasn't that Ayame was afraid of Itachi, in fact it was quite the opposite, but she knew what awaited her when she got back to the base. Fury.  
Blind, uncontrollable fury.

The blonde artist glanced to where her eyes were looking then back to her, "No? Ayame," Deidara placed his wrist on her forehead. "Are you feeling okay? You're very warm, not to mention pale, hmmm."

The kuniochi took a long, steadying breath. Maybe she had imagined it? She was incredibly tired, after all. It could be her sleep deprivation finally getting to her…making her imagine things. "Uhm," Ayame grabbed Deidara's wrist and laid it gently at his side. "I-I'm fine." She stated, rubbing her eyes. "Let's go."

The blonde gave his partner a wary glance, still unsure of her health. "Are you sure?" He asked, picking up his bags.

In all honesty, the kuniochi didn't know. She felt…odd. Dizzy and tired, yes, but she felt something more. Guilt, maybe? Or was this fear she felt? Fear of what would be said when she got home? Or guilt for leaving her partner alone and running off with his rival? Ayame sighed, frustrated with herself, and grabbed a load of supplies off the ground. "Yeah," She answered, "Let's just get going."

"Wait." The brunette turned around to see Deidara walking towards her, arm outstretched. "Lean on my shoulder," He stated, pulling her arm around his neck.

Ayame shook her head, "Deidara, l—"

"Look," The blonde interrupted, "I know you're tired and you feel sick, so there's no reason to push yourself to the point of making things worse. Just relax, hmmm."

The kuniochi bit her lip. She knew this was a bad idea, especially if she thought she'd just seen one of Itachi's crows, but…she did feel exhausted. And right now, a little help sounded nice. "A…alright." She answered, still unsure of her decision.

"Okay." Deidara wasted no time. He braced her arm over his shoulder and wrapped his left around her waist, pulling her close. Ayame's breath caught in her chest. Itachi had been the only one to have ever of held her like this, even hold her hand, so Deidara's foreign touch was…awkward, to say the least. "You know, I think I can walk on my own," Ayame stated, immediately trying to push Deidara away. But the blonde persisted, pulling her even closer. In the distance, Deidara could see a pair of bloody crimson eyes glaring at him, daring him to make another move. He smirked. So the Uchiha had been following them today, just as he thought. That explained Ayame's sudden hesitance.

"What did you see just a moment ago, Ayame-chan, hmmm?" Deidara asked, pulling her face towards him.

The brunette kuniochi growled, not liking where this was going. "Nothing." She lied, still trying to pull away.

The blonde laughed and glanced back at the bright red eyes. They were furious. "Tell me, Ayame." He stated, his face now just inches from hers.

"Let go of me, Deidara!" She growled, trying to shove him away. Ayame was fed up with his doting. Even if she had tried to give him a second chance earlier, she knew now why she was hesitant about it: Deidara was a royal pain in the neck. She clenched her teeth. Many things went through her mind, all them being horrible methods of killing and/or torturing the artist who still had his hand clenched painfully around her waist.

"And if I don't?" He smirked, pulling her closer. The warm sensation of the girl's breath filled his lungs-intoxicating him. Uchiha be damned, he was going to have this girl one way or another.

"Then I will kill you." Came a dark, mono-toned voice. Both Akatsuki members turned to find Itachi standing at the mouth of a huge oak tree, Sharingan activated. Ayame felt her heart stop. Itachi may be a master at hiding his emotions, but his eyes were a dead give-away, especially when they locked onto Deidara.  
He was bloodthirsty.

The Uchiha then strode forward, too fast for Ayame's eyes to follow, and caught the blonde by his cloak, yanking him forward. In one instant, one fraction of a second, he could've snapped his neck-killing him on the spot. But he didn't. Instead, he just glared-bidding his time. "What do you think you're doing, Deidara?" He asked, jerking his arm off of Ayame's waist.

Deidara sneered and spat at the Uchiha's feet, "None of your business, hmmm."

That did it.

A whir of blonde and black flew past Ayame as the artist slammed into a tree, blood spurting from the corners of his mouth. He winced in pain as several of his ribs cracked, leaving him out of breath. "Ayame_ is_ my business!" Itachi snarled, following after him. It took only a second for the Uchiha to close the gap between the two.

The blonde didn't get a chance to defend himself a second time as he was thrown into another tree, all traces of his smug smirk gone. Itachi stormed past his brunette kuniochi and picked Deidara up by his throat, closing off his air supply. "Deidara," Itachi's voice came out as a low, threatening hiss. "I respect you as an adversary, but if I ever see you lay a hand on her again, I will kill you." An eerie chill ran down Ayame's spine. She'd never seen Itachi so angry- sure, she'd seen him upset or frustrated, but this was a whole new level of anger. And, believe it or not, it actually scared her.

Deidara's impaired breathing suddenly broke the kuniochi from her trance. She glanced up at the blonde, surprised to see his face turning an unnatural shade of blue. "I-Itachi," She stated, ashamed at how her voice broke. "Let Deidara go, you're killing him."

The enraged Uchiha broke his trance with the blonde and turned them to Ayame, furious with her proposal. "Stay out of this." He stated, tightening his grip on the blonde's throat. "I'll deal with you later."

Another bloody cough escaped Deidara's mouth, causing the metallic substance to spill over his lips and down his shirt. Ayame growled, unfazed by his snappy attitude. "Stop it, Itachi." Again, the Uchiha ignored her.

The kuniochi wasn't going to stand for this. Her patience snapped. Now, enraged with his unwavering stubbornness, she growled and grabbed the hilt of her katana, swinging it forward in one swift motion. "Itachi put Deidara down, now! You're going to kill him!"

"Death should be the price he pays for touching you like he has!" He snapped, throwing the artist's limp body aside. Deidara immediately began to hack and wheeze, trying to take in as much air as his lungs could possibly hold. Ayame's eyes widened in realization; Itachi…was jealous? Itachi Uchiha, self-proclaimed perfectionist and genius shinobi, was jealous? She had never thought Itachi to be the possessive type. He would deny it if she mentioned it, of course, but that statement had been enough to prove that he was. The kuniochi's mind ran a blank. A part of her didn't mind it, relished in it, really. But another part of her hated it. She wasn't his property. She refused to be.

Now the part of her that relished in it… liked the fact that he didn't like seeing her with or near other men. But the other part of her had more sense. She belonged to no one, especially a stubborn man like him. Ayame clenched her teeth and placed her katana back in its holster, trying to subdue her anger. "I'm going back to the base," she hissed, grabbing the supplies she's been asked to retrieve. "Let me know when you two are finished with your petty fighting." And she left.

Itachi stared after her in shock-had she really just called his anger "petty"? That woman…that beautiful, sarcastic woman had just called his anger, anger directed toward his love for her, "petty"? His fists clenched together, causing his knuckles to turn white. "We'll finish this later," Itachi growled to Deidara, taking off after his rouge kuniochi.

The blonde rolled over on his side and smirked, pleased by Ayame's remark. "Anytime, Uchiha." He wheezed, just before he fell unconscious.

* * *

Ayame snarled. She was angry, no…furious! How dare Deidara try to do that to her, and how dare Itachi to say she was his property! The kuniochi pulled her hands together, performing a quick hand seal. A kanji glowed on the door to the Akatsuki compound as it swung open, allowing her entrance. Her eyes quickly swept the forest around her before she entered.

Still thinking about Itachi and Deidara, Ayame threw the supplies into the large gathering room and stormed off down the hallway, ignoring the other akatsuki members now staring after her. "Ayame-chan?!" The kuniochi scowled and turned to find a very jumpy masked nin following after her.

"What?" She hissed, resuming her walk.

Tobi followed in happy pursuit. "How are you!?"

"Fine." Ayame snapped.

"Sooooooo…" The masked nin jumped after her, giggling at her anger. "Where's Deidara-senpai?!"

That did it. A threatening, iridescent purple began to take over Ayame's eyes, making adrenaline pump furiously through her veins. The room was dropping in temperature quickly, a growl emanating from the kuniochi. Tobi backed up in fear, his cloak starting to get a layer of frost to it. Ayame could see each and every goose bump on the masked nin's hands and arms, taking sick pleasure from it. "W-whoa, W-WHOA AYAME-CHAN!" He yelped, his voice breaking from the cold. "T-TOBI'S SORRY! WAHHHHH! P-PLEASE LET TOBI GO!" She grabbed the hilt of her katana and slammed Tobi back into the adjacent wall, blade at his neck.

Ayame snarled again, ignoring his struggling. "Deidara won't be back for awhile." She hissed, "But if you do see him again, be sure to give him this message." Tobi stared ahead in horror as Ayame continued speaking, her voice low and deadly. "If he so much as speaks to me, or even comes around me, I will crush his every working organ until his insides are reduced to mush. No more chances, I warned him, and he over stepped his bounds. " The kuniochi smirked and released her blade from his throat, "Now go."

The masked ninja nodded, yelped, and ran back down the corridor, fearing for his life.

Ayame placed her blade back in its sheath and crept away to her room-feeling worse now than before. Her chakra was dangerously depleted, causing her drowsiness and lack of concentration to become amplified. In fact, she couldn't even remember why she had been angry in the first place. The sound of hurried footsteps and whispers came as the hallway regained its normal temperature. Ayame clenched her fists, trying to fight back the darkness in her vision. Echoes of her name and "what just happened?" registered in her mind, but she decided to not respond. She wanted to sleep. But she knew if she slept now, it would be forever before she'd wake again (chakra depletion would be sure of that); still, it was no use. By the time her bedroom door had opened, she'd already fallen to the ground, unconscious.

* * *

Itachi slammed the door to the base wide open, not caring who heard or saw-he was on a mission. Find Ayame, and figure out why she said that to him. Why, after all of the things he'd done for her-would she call his feelings irrelevant? The gathering of the rest of the Akatsuki caused Itachi's thoughts to be interrupted. Everyone-save for himself, Ayame and Deidara-were standing at the entrance to the dormitory corridor. "What's going on?" Itachi snapped, trying to break through the sea of black and red cloaks.

Hidan, the grey haired Jashinist, turned to the Uchiha with a smirk on his face. "Well, Aya pretty much froze that masked kid to death." He laughed.

Itachi's eyes narrowed, "Where is she?"

Hidan rolled his eyes, "Chill, man. She's right there," He pointed to an unconscious figure lying just outside of her room. "I guess she must've used too much chakra and blacked out."

The Uchiha pushed his way through the rest of the Akatsuki members and knelt down beside Ayame, checking her for injury. After a few minutes of investigation, Itachi came to the conclusion that Hidan was right, she must have used too much chakra-he couldn't sense any trace of it with his Sharingan. He sighed and picked the unconscious kuniochi up in his arms, cradling her head between his bicep and shoulder. She roused slightly, just enough to mumble a complaint, but feel back into the realm of sleep soon after.

Itachi pried the last of her bedroom door open and walked inside, shutting it behind him. He hadn't been in Ayame's room in months. Her large, queen sized bed had been moved to an adjacent wall, making it the centerpiece of the room; a large black canopy draped over its ivory finish, making a black curtain around her bed's circumference. He glanced around to find her dresser, nightstand, and weaponry had also been moved. _'Guess she was tired of the same old thing…' _he mused, approaching her bed. With his right, Itachi pulled back the large tapestry, revealing a matching black and silver bedspread, and with his other he carefully laid her onto its surface, trying not to rouse her. He stepped back and frowned as he observed her still figure. She looked so peaceful. Her bright blue eyes were shut-but not to the point that she looked to be in pain-and her pale lips were slightly parted, allowing her warm breath to escape by his face. Light grey shadows clung to the definition of her cheeks and eyes, making the remainder of her skin look warm and soft, yet he knew it was from her lack of sleep. A few stray pieces of her hair fell into her face, but Itachi just watched them with a frown. _'Why must she be so interesting..?'_ He thought angrily, _'It's not like she's anything special…'_

The Uchiha sighed and was just about to turn away when he realized her hand was still gripping the sleeve of his cloak, keeping him prisoner. Itachi scowled and tried to remove it, but as he did so he noticed the awful contortion her face took on. Itachi sighed, displeased by her reaction. Sure, he liked the fact that she wanted him to stay, but he still wasn't sure if he was ready to forgive her for what she had said. His fighting for her wasn't petty; it was his reaction to her being with another man. She should feel honored that he'd go that far for her…but instead she called his feelings "insignificant." Like his love for her didn't matter. In fact, just thinking of it caused his to blood to boil.

"Itachi," The raven haired man glanced down to see a pair of icy blue eyes staring at him, gauging his facial expression. "What are you doing here?" The hand that had gripped his arm so tightly before had now left and retreated back to her side. Itachi wanted it back.

"You were lying outside of your room unconscious, so I carried you inside." He answered, taking a seat beside her.

Ayame rolled over on her side, turning her back to him. "Well, thanks." She mumbled, "You can go now."

Itachi glared at her. "No." He answered, placing his hand on her arm.

The brunette kuniochi turned her head to him, glaring. "Let go of me, Uchiha. And get out of my room."

Itachi pulled her body back over to his and bent down close to her face, to the point where both of their eyes could meet without distraction. "Why did you call my feelings for you insignificant?" He hissed.

Ayame snorted and turned away. Had this of been under different circumstances, she would probably of blushed-and even enjoyed-his sudden closeness. "Leave me alone."

The Uchiha anchored his hand around the underside of her chin and jerked her face back to his, preventing her escape. "Answer me, Ayame."

The brunette kuniochi jerked her knee upwards, trying to connect with his groin, but he just smirked. Of course she'd be difficult. Itachi turned his hip to the side, allowing it to take the impact of her kick, then snapped his knee back down into her shin-immobilizing her leg. Ayame hissed and lifted her free leg up, ready to jam her knee into his ribcage, when he imprisoned it as well. "Give up?" He asked, watching her face turn red with anger.

"Hardly." She answered, wiggling her arms free. Ayame quickly did a number of hand signs, before the Uchiha could grab her arms as well, and smirked. "Good luck trying to catch water." And her body started to melt, leaving behind a small puddle of liquid.

Itachi scowled, mentally cursing himself for allowing Kisame to teach her that technique, and pushed himself up off of her bed. "I just want to talk, Ayame."

The puddle of water quickly darted off of her mattress and landed in the floor. "Yeah right," Came Ayame's voice, "I'm way smarter than that, Uchiha."

Itachi clenched his fists and stormed over to her bed, fed up with her games. "You have one of two choices." He hissed, "Either materialize, or I scorch you with my fireball jutsu."

The kuniochi scowled, he'd done that during a training session before. She had been fighting him, and just when it seemed like he had her, she melted into a puddle of water. Itachi, surprised and angry, blew a fireball at her, and caused her small ring of water, her person (in a sense), to evaporate. When she finally got herself all back together again (with the help of her mentor Kisame), she had several third degree burns on her legs and back. Ayame had learned a lesson that day. "Fine..." The liquid puddle suddenly started to morph, gathering together and molding until Ayame's person stood in its place. "What do you want to talk about?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Itachi scowled. He didn't really know himself. He knew he was mad at her, especially for the way she had talked to him back in the clearing, not to mention her little game between Deidara and himself, but he didn't truly have an idea as to where to start. "Look, if you are just going to stand here and stare at me, then I'm leaving." Ayame answered, walking toward the door. "I have more important things to do."

The Uchiha appeared, almost like a ghost, in front of her-blocking her escape. Ayame frowned and jumped back, searching for another route. She looked around, preparing herself to run or scream if she had to. His right side seemed to be the best bet of getting out of here, maybe crawl out the window or something, but it would be cutting it close and he would probably grab and pin her if she tried-"Stop trying to escape..." Itachi stated, advancing towards her. Ayame's pulse quickened, so he could tell, hunh?

"W-what do you want?" The kuniochi asked, backing into the wall. She hated the way her voice broke, but she honestly had no idea what to expect from Itachi at the moment. Anger? Frustration? All of the above?

"First of all, I want to know why you called my anger petty." He stated, placing his hands on either side of her head.

Ayame flinched at his sudden closeness. Itachi's familiar, intoxicating scent bombarded her senses, breaking her concentration. But she knew how to block herself from his tricks. "Let me go." She stated, trying to wiggle free.

"Once you answer my question, I will." He answered, deactivating his Sharingan.

The kuniochi looked up into his eyes, mesmerized by the sea of darkness that stared back at her. She loved his normal eye colour; it reminded her of a starless night sky, with small twinges of light dancing around its center. "L-let me go!" She answered, suddenly regaining her senses. "I may not have enough chakra to freeze you, but I can still fight!"

The Uchiha smirked and laid his forehead against hers, feeling the pounding of her pulse under her skin. "You won't fight me." He whispered, letting his breath fall over her face.

Ayame scoffed and tried, once again, to kick him in the side. Itachi just rolled his eyes, and imprisoned both her legs once more. Ayame tried the same with her arms, but that only gained her the same thing: imprisonment. The kuniochi threw her head back in frustration. Who was she kidding? She was exhausted; there was no way she was in any condition to fight the Uchiha-even if she were at full health. But what made her so angry was the fact that he knew that; he knew that she was weak and tired, not to mention hungry, so he knew how to play that to his advantage.

Itachi glanced down into the brunette's eyes, somewhat amused by her flustered face. Her normally pale cheeks were red and hot, most likely from embarrassment, and her breathing was impaired-both from her attempts at escape and from the two's sudden physical closeness. "This would be easier for both you and myself if you would just tell me why, Ayame."

The kuniochi gritted her teeth, "You should know why I said what I did! You were killing him, Itachi!" The Uchiha flinched at her raised voice. "I wasn't just going to stand there and watch you suffocate him! I am more than fully capable of handling him myself, you know!?"

"Oh, really?" Itachi hissed, releasing her from her imprisonment. "You can barely, if not at all, fight me off. What makes you think you could have taken Deidara?"

Ayame scoffed and made for the door, swinging it open as she leapt into the hallway. "Leave me alone!"

"No!" Itachi grabbed hold of her wrist and spun her around, making her look him in the eye. "Listen to me, you crazy woman. I was only trying to protect you! Don't you understand what he was trying to do!? Deidara had no right to handle you the way he did, you are better than that!"

The kuniochi snapped her wrist out of the Uchiha's hold, and glared into his murderous eyes, furious with his assumptions. "If that's the case then why are you handling me like this, hunh?!"

Itachi growled. His Mangekyo Sharingan had now surfaced again, a signal to the warning anger he now felt towards his brunette beauty. "How dare you." He snapped, advancing toward her. "If anything, I handle you with respect and care. I don't try to take advantage of you, I try to love you, but you won't let me! Just like now, you fly off the handle and start assuming things, without knowing the whole story!"

Ayame felt angry tears burning in her eyes. How could he say these things? She had only called their fighting petty because it was stupid to argue over her, she knew who she loved. But after today…she just wasn't sure anymore. "I don't know the whole story?!" She screamed. The hot tears she had tried to hold back had now surfaced and began to fall in streams down her cheeks, making her look like a small, angry child. "You're one to talk! The whole reason I even called your stupid fighting "petty" is because you two were fighting over me! ME! I don't deserve that!" Ayame's body shook with uncontrollable sobs, sobs she hadn't released in years. "I'm just me! I'm a crazy woman, just like you said! I don't deserve either of you! Hell, I couldn't protect my sister, my family, let alone myself! How do I deserve love for all of that!? Hunh?! "

Then, in a heap of sadness and regret, she fell to her knees. Every piece of her felt like a piece of broken glass, ragged and untouchable. Itachi stared down at her, thoroughly disturbed by her statement. "Ayame," He called, trying to get a response out of her. The kuniochi just sat in silence, letting her tears continue to fall. "Ayame, I understand." Itachi knelt beside her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "I killed my entire clan. My mother, my Father, my Uncle and Aunt…my friends, classmates; they were all murdered by my hand. I mean…how do you think I've felt?"

Ayame grabbed her knees and pulled them into her chest, trying to hide herself from his eyes. She'd forgotten about that…"Itachi…" The kuniochi whispered, her voice small and almost inaudible. "I'm tired…"

The Uchiha smiled and swept a few strands of hair away from the brunette's eyes, "Do you want me to take you to your room?" He asked.

Ayame shook her head; she didn't want to be in that room. It reminded her too much of her nightmares. And she knew they would be back tonight. "No…"

"Well, you can't stay out here all night." He chuckled. "Would you rather me stay with you, then?"

She nodded.

Itachi slid his arms around her fragile body and swept her up into his arms, careful not to hurt her, then continued on down the hallway to his room. "Is this alright?" He asked, stopping just outside the door.

Ayame nodded again. "Yeah…I don't want to be in my room…"

The Uchiha nodded as well and stepped through the threshold. Because Itachi's room was on a higher level than some of the other Akatsuki dorms, he had the luxury of having a skylight ceiling; a rarity among most hideouts. Ayame stared into the sky with wonder. Bright, shining stars filled the night, and a glorious moon shone just behind some lonesome clouds. "Nice, isn't it?" He asked, continuing towards the center of the room.

Some rays of light shone across the kuniochi's face and she smiled. She loved nighttime. "Yeah."

Itachi's room was relatively bare, just a dresser, bed, and weapon station, but Ayame still loved it. The walls were a dark shade of blue, with the exception of one black accent wall, and there were several scrolls hanging either next to his bed or on the floor. _'Guess he's been reading lately…' _she mused, glancing over some of the open scrolls. A few had different taijutsu techniques written on them, others had more personal things written (like a journal, of sorts). "What's that?" Ayame asked, pointing to one of the more lengthy passages beside his foot.

Itachi scowled and kicked it aside, "Nothing."

The kuniochi frowned, "What is it, Itachi?"

The Uchiha sighed and placed her down at the corner of his bed. "Don't worry about it, Ayame."

The brunette smirked and jolted back up, springing for the scroll. Itachi tried to grab her ankle, but she'd already leapt out of his reach by the time he'd registered her motive. "Hah." She stated, unwrapping the scroll. The Uchiha rolled his eyes as she read aloud, his heart was pounding. "_Ayame, as you know, today is Valentine's day. I know you really don't care for the holiday, neither do I for that matter, but I just wanted to say something to you…" _The Uchiha felt his blood running cold as she spoke. That letter was supposed to be a surprise…Something he'd give her later, when she would be asleep and find it when she woke. When he was out of the room.  
When he wouldn't be here to witness her voice reading aloud his thoughts…  
Nevertheless, the brunette continued reading. _"You can be…frustrating, to say the least. You can get lost in your thoughts so easily, and sometimes it bothers me to see you that calm and quiet. You can be childish, too, but I love that part about you. In fact, I wish I could give in to that part of myself more often." _"Ayame-" She ignored him and continued reading. _"But at the same time, you can be sweet and caring; I mean…You've been through so much, sometimes it's weird to see you empathize with someone. But I know that's why you're so strong. I know that's why you never say anything about your sister or family to me, and I guess that's why you're such an interesting person…I guess that's why you're always on my mind…Why I can trust you so easily…So, what I'm trying to say is…"_

"Ayame," Itachi didn't dare look her in the eye, but he stepped up beside her, trying to get her attention away from the letter.

The kuniochi smiled, warmed by the letters contents. She didn't know Itachi felt that way about her, I mean, he never mentioned anything like that before. In fact, no one had ever said ANYTHING like that to her. The flustered Uchiha made a grab for the scroll, uneasy by the words he'd written, but Ayame just continued down the page, anxious to see what he wanted to say. _"Well, in other words…I guess that's why I love you, EVERY part of you, unconditionally and irrevocably. Happy Valentine's Day, Ayame. Love, Itachi Uchiha…_You…love Me.?" She whispered, musing over the word.

Itachi sighed and walked back over to his bed, laying down over the black and blue surface. "Itachi," Ayame called, trying to get his attention. But the Uchiha just lay there, not moving a muscle. "Itachi, answer me."

A mumble came from the man, but after he just fell silent. Ayame scoffed and stormed over to his bedside. "Itachi," She nudged to Uchiha's arm, but it had no effect. "Itachi!" She slammed her fist into his bicep, and again, she was answered with nothing. "Answer me, Uchiha!"

Itachi opened one stormy black eye and glanced up at her face, smirking. "Hn."

The kuniochi glared, not amused by his tricks. She wanted to know what that letter meant. "I swear, I will drag you to the ground and stomp you to death if you don't give me an actual response."

"Go ahead and try." The Uchiha chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Fine…" Ayame grabbed hold of his arm and tried to pry his body from the mattress, but Itachi didn't so much as move an inch. She couldn't stand thinking about that letter anymore! "Stop using chakra to anchor yourself!" She screamed, trying to pull him up.

"I'm not." Itachi laughed, finding her attempts funny and amusing.

Ayame gritted her teeth and tried again, but this attempt was just as useless as the last. "I know you don't weigh so much that I can't pull you up…" she mumbled, out of breath.

"So now you're calling me fat, hunh?" Itachi smirked.

The kuniochi's eyes widened, "N-no, I'm not!"

The Uchiha sighed and glanced over Ayame's face. She was still out of breath, and her cheeks were dyed a lovely shade of red…'_Seems like she'd used more chakra than I thought.' _He mused, checking her internal chi networks. "Come here." He stated, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"No, you jerk!" Ayame crossed her arms and turned her back to him.

Itachi rolled his eyes and threw her body over his, placing her next to him. Ayame didn't scream, but she was pretty sure that her heart had stopped when he did that. "I did ask you to lay here on your own." The Uchiha stated, turning on his side to face her.

"And you still haven't told me what that letter meant." She mumbled, huffing out a defiant breath.

"You know what it meant." He stated, suddenly serious.

Ayame glanced over at him, "Not really."

Itachi sighed and ran his fingers over the definition of her cheeks and jaw. Her skin was so soft, like the petals of some exotic flower. "How can you not know?" He whispered, tracing her sleep-deprived eyelids.

Ayame frowned. "Because I don't know what all of that stuff means…I've never had anyone tell me that they…loved me. I don't even think my father told me that…" She whispered.

"And did your sister, Kiame?" He asked.

A pang hit Ayame's heart. Kiame did, but the kuniochi wasn't entirely sure about what the word meant at the time. At least, not until she was gone. "Yeah…I guess."

"Then surely you must know?" Itachi asked, stopping his fingers just at the edge of her lips.

"I…guess." She stated, closing her eyes. His hands felt so cool against the heat of her face.

"Well, I have something for you." Itachi stated, pulling a small box out from underneath his pillow.

Ayame opened one eye, wary of what the Uchiha was doing. "What do you mean, Itachi?"

The raven-haired Uchiha smiled and placed the small velvet box in her hands. "Open it and see."

The kuniochi scowled and pried the top of the box open. Inside, a pair of singular black ribbons (both shiny and strong) laid across an equally colored base. Ayame found the two pieces of cloth pretty useless at first, but then she seen the two gems hanging on the ends. The one closest to her right had a sterling stamp of the Uchiha family crest, with a small blue wave encircling it's circumference; and on the left, hung her own Azikuria family crest, a large gold phoenix adorning a ring of fire around it's torso. Ayame's eyes narrowed, trying to process what the new addition to the crests meant. "I asked for a jeweler to make our family crests with their opposite elements." Itachi stated, pulling the two ribbons out of the box. "Just to signify that we are…compatible, I guess."

The kuniochi was still confused.

The Uchiha chuckled a little and pointed to the two metal rings on the opposite ends. "They are to hang at the hilt of your katana."

Ayame snatched away the two ribbons and glanced over them with more scrutiny. "I figured you'd want something like that this opposed to normal jewelry." Itachi answered. "Besides, your other ribbons are becoming tattered, aren't they?"

The kuniochi felt warm tears surfacing in her eyes. He'd gotten a gift for her. A gift, not out of petty feelings or because some silly sense of admiration, but out of love for her. "Y-yeah…" She whispered, clenching her fists around the clan insignias.

Itachi frowned as he saw a few tears break over her cheeks. "I…are you okay?" He asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I…I didn't mean to upset you again…"

Ayame shook her head and began to rake with sobs. Never, in all her life, had anyone ever given her a gift out of pure love. Not her wretch of a father, deceased mother, or friends. Sure, Kiame would make some little present or something for her at times, but this was different. It was from a man; a man who loved and adored her, no matter what she said or did. Itachi sighed and wrapped his arms around the kuniochi's torso, pulling her face into his chest. "I'm sorry, Ayame…"

The brunette coughed and latched her arms around Itachi's lower back, never wanting to let go. "I-I'm s-sorry." She whispered, hiccupping. "I-I don't k-know what's w-wrong w-with me…"

The Uchiha chuckled a little and ran his fingers through her soft hair. The smell of pomegranates and cherry blossoms filled his nose, and he eagerly welcomed it. He loved the smell of her shampoo. "Nothing's wrong with you, Ayame."

Ayame shook her head.

Itachi scoffed and placed a finger under her chin, pulling her face up equal with his. "What's wrong with you then, Azikuria?"

The kuniochi felt her heart literally snap in two as she glanced into the Uchiha's eyes. It was as if the night itself had been personified into those charcoal orbs. "I…"

The Uchiha smirked and began to scrutinize her face. "Well, I see a pair of bright blue eyes, and there mustn't be anything wrong with those, they're too perfect..." He traced the outline of her cheek. "Then there's your skin, that I swear feels like some type of rare satin." Ayame felt the blood from her skin begin to boil at his touch. "The only thing I see…" He moved from her face to the corner of her lips. "Is that these…don't smile as often as they should..."

The kuniochi scrunched up her nose and pulled away, wiping the dried tears from her cheeks. "That…was so corny." She grinned.

"Maybe. But it was all true." He smiled, twisting a strand of her hair around his finger.

Ayame felt a blush returning to her face. "Alright, Uchiha."

Itachi scoffed. "You don't believe me?" He smirked, inching closer to her.

The kuniochi smirked and matched his movements. "Not for a second."

"Well," Itachi cupped the side of her cheek with one hand and stopped his face just above her lips. "Do I need to prove myself?"

Ayame smiled and closed her eyes, taking in his scent. "Well, Uchiha…you tell me."

Itachi smirked and placed his lips jokingly onto her nose, enjoying her look of confusion and mirth. "Happy Valentine's Day, Ayame."

Grinning, the kuniochi returned the gesture and nestled into the Uchiha's arms, ready to retire for the night. "Happy Valentine's Day, Itachi…"

* * *

AN: That's all folks! :D Thanks for reading everyone! I hope you like :)

Here, again, is the link to the story involving Ayame... s/10690169/1/Fire-and-Ice

Uhm...R&amp;R, Pwease :D

Happy Fall! :D

~Aria


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